Tag Archive | "NBC Universal"

A Telemundo/NBC Universo blackout on DISH potentially scheduled to start this weekend may not happen, after all. That’s because DISH filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against NBC Universal yesterday.

NBC Universal, in negotiations over retransmission fees for weeks, on Monday launched a public campaign against DISH, urging viewers to call the satcaster to demand to keep the company’s networks on the air. In addition to multiple video commercials, NBC Universal set up a website calling subscribers to “STOP THE DROP!”

According to the DISH lawsuit, contractual agreements prohibit NBCU “from engaging in certain public communications and/or messaging that relate to the expiration of these agreements.”

DISH argues NBCU’s commercials and website messages “cause actual harm to DISH. Among other things, DISH’s subscribers flood DISH’s customer services lines with questions about the NBCU messages, some subscribers cancel their DISH subscriptions, and DISH’s goodwill as a reliable service provider is eroded.”

DISH has stated it will file for binding arbitration to block NBCUniversal from following through with its threat to pull the feeds of all of its networks and broadcast stations.

“Under the conditions imposed by the FCC and Department of Justice in approving the Comcast-NBCUniversal merger, NBC is forbidden from blacking out its networks if a pay-TV provider chooses, in its sole discretion, to exercise its right for binding arbitration. Regulators implemented these conditions to prevent Comcast and NBC from harming consumers and competition.

“In the event of arbitration, affected programming would remain available during that process, and for the foreseeable future.”

In response, NBCU has issued this statement: “Should Dish proceed with arbitration we will of course participate in the process, and look forward to receiving the fair market value for our portfolio of networks.”

NBCUniversal is changing the name of its NBCU Hispanic Enterprises and Content unit to NBCU Telemundo Enterprises and has appointed César Conde to oversee the group.

Conde’s promotion from Executive Vice President of NBCUniversal to the newly created position of Chairman, NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is effective immediately.

He replaces Joe Uva, who has been Chairman, Hispanic Enterprises and Content, in charge of overseeing the company’s Hispanic networks since joining the company in February of 2013, although Conde has additional responsibilities leading the NBCU International Group.

Uva will transition into an advisory role working on the NBC Deportes move from Hialeah to the NBC Sports Group’s broadcast facility in Stamford, CT for the next few months.

Conde begins his new expanded role October 12 and will continue to report to Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal.

Gregory M. Resh has been promoted from VP to Senior Vice President, Finance in the Hispanic Enterprises and Content unit of NBCUniversal, effective immediately.

He is based in Miami and will report to Marlene Dooner, EVP, Hispanic Enterprises and Content.

In his new role, Resh will oversee all finance, accounting and financial planning and analysis functions for the Telemundo network, studios, international division and the cable channel mun2. He will also work closely with the Telemundo Stations group.

Prior to joining NBCUniversal in May 2012 he was Director of Finance in Comcast Corporation’s Mid-Atlantic region.

Currently Senior Vice President of Investor Relations at Comcast Corporation, she’ll transition to NBCUniversal in New York at the end of this year.

In this newly created position, Dooner will work closely with Uva to develop the company’s initiatives and new business opportunities in the Hispanic marketplace across NBCUniversal’s networks and platforms. Additionally, she will oversee financial planning, strategic initiatives and business development for the company’s Hispanic franchises, including Telemundo and mun2.

Dooner joined Comcast Corporation in 1995 and for the past 18 years has led the company’s Investor Relations function, overseeing its relationships with the investment community and shareholders. Before joining Comcast, she was a Vice President at PNC Bank’s Communications Lending Group, where she spent 12 years.

Comcast said it will be initiating a national search for a head of Investor Relations in the coming weeks.

Posted in People, TV & RadioComments Off on Sanchez Dooner named EVP of NBCU’s Hispanic unit

Former Telemundo reporter Vicky Gutierrez, who was terminated from KVEA-52 in March of this year, is suing Telemundo and parent company NBC Universal for wrongful termination, retaliation and age discrimination.

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, her attorney claims Vicky was taken off KVEA’s air when she turned 50 and replaced with a younger reporter. She had been working for Telemundo 52 since 2003.

According to the complaint, “Defendants [KVEA] claim to have ‘laid off’ Ms. Gutierrez, age 50, but they actually terminated her, without cause and in breach of the employment contract between the parties, and promptly replaced her with a substantially younger woman to ‘look’ younger and ‘better’ to attract better ratings and at a lower cost to the employer.”

Vicky’s attorneys claim she was the “victim of workplace discrimination and harassment” and that she made verbal and written workplace complaints about workplace conditions to her supervisor Rick Morales and HR supervisor Cristina Coe, but that they were ignored and were in fact, the reason why she was terminated.

Telemundo is paying $600 million for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Spanish-language U.S. rights and Fox is paying between $400 to $500 million to broadcast the games in English in the U.S.

Although a Telemundo spokesman said they were not disclosing details of the financial agreement, The Wrap, B&C, The Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated are reporting inside sources familiar with the bidding revealed the stunning $1 billion dollar combined pricetag.

Univision paid $325 million for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup rights. ESPN paid $100 million.

The Telemundo deal includes exclusive U.S. Spanish-language all platform media rights (excluding radio) for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, FIFA Confederations Cup and all Under-20 and Under-17 FIFA World Cup matches in this time period. The all-encompassing media agreement also includes exclusive coverage and promotion of FIFA soccer events across multiple NBCUniversal properties including Spanish-language broadcast and cable television, Internet, broadband, wireless and Video-On-Demand.

“This landmark deal for Telemundo represents perhaps the greatest milestone in its history,” Lauren Zalaznick, chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media, said in a statement. “The acquisition of the FIFA World Cup, one of the world’s great sporting events, speaks directly to the commitment NBCUniversal has made in the future of Telemundo and to our diverse U.S. Hispanic communities that we serve.”

According to a release, Zalaznick was on a plane flying home from Zurich when the deal was officially announced.

How will Telemundo justifiy the expense? The WSJ reports “one person familiar with the thinking at Telemundo parent NBCUniversal said that the network hopes to use the World Cup as a way to wrangle paid subscription fees from cable and satellite operators in coming years.”

Univision today officially announced that Randy Falco, currently Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He will also become a member of the Univision Board of Directors and continue to be based in New York.

Falco was named Univision’s EVP and COO in January of 2011, overseeing all revenue functions for the company, including advertising sales, distribution sales and affiliate relations, as well as the operations of the television and radio station groups, corporate marketing, research and corporate business development.

Prior to joining Univision, Falco was Chairman and CEO of AOL, Inc. He previously spent more than 30 years in varying roles at NBC Universal, Inc., culminating as President and COO of NBC Universal Television Group.